Contract on the Inquisitor
by Aerolysia
Summary: I enjoyed writing this. It's light and fluffy. I wanted to try and incorporate a character from an earlier game into Inquisition and this is what I ended up with. In any case it's about a contract placed on the Inquisitor and a familiar face shows up to possibly complete it...possibly


She stood on her ramparts staring down at the scene underneath. She didn't see people bellow her, instead her gaze was drawn to the vista of the mountains. She couldn't believe where she was.

Herald of Andraste, Inquisitor of the Inquisition….it was coming to a close and it still all seemed so surreal.

Inquisitor Lavellan. It had felt like an eternity since that had become her tittle and she was still not used to it. She wondered if she ever would be or if perhaps this war would bring about her end, if that were the case she wouldn't have to become accustomed to it. And the longer the chaos went on in the world…..the more likely death seemed. And the more likely it became the only reprieve the young mage could expect to receive.

"Such a frown shouldn't mar such a beautiful face."

She turned at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. An elf stood behind her, leaning in forced carelessness against the stone wall beside Cullen's office. He was skinny, slightly taller than her and pale. He had long white-blonde hair and his facial tattoo was impressive to say the least but he was not part of the Inquisition. She wondered if he was some kind of a delegate or another such guest in the castle at Josephine's behest.

She turned her lithe body fully toward him. He made her feel weary, perhaps because of the way he was leering at her, his eyes looking her up and down and unsettling her. She often felt the gaze of people, mostly they stared in awe and disbelief, some even reverence and admiration. Rarely did she see anyone look at her the way this stranger was, as if he was undressing her with his eyes.

"Do I know you?" She tried to be polite as possible but her voice held a slight hint of irritation, she couldn't keep it out he had interrupted her moment alone after all, even if it wasn't full of peace.

"Ah, I am Zevran Arainai, of the crows…formerly perhaps although I should like to return to their good graces." He moved off the wall and bowed slightly at his waste with added flair.

"Crows?" her brow wrinkled in confusion, she felt as if she had heard of them before, perhaps from Leliana though she couldn't seem to recall….

"Assassins, my dear Herald." He supplied with a chagrin smile. "I would have thought you had heard of them, seeing as the company you keep."

She frowned, none of her companions were assassins. "My comrades are of the best quality I assure you."

He held his hands up and smiled. "I meant no disrespect. Only it is my habit of informing my victims of their impending assassination. I find it…better tolerable." His face wrinkled. "Maybe that is the wrong word."

She eyed him critically. Did he just tell her he had been hired to assassinate her? And then just stand there debating about his speech and the moralities of giving his victims a heads up of their impending demise….she watched as he scuffed his boot on the stone ground and kept his hands on his hips thoughtfully…..yes he had.

"So….your here to kill me then? In my own keep?" A dark eyebrow arched, despite being unarmed she didn't feel like her life was in any particular danger. She imagined it was a false sense of security, surely if they were going to assassinate her they would have sent a capable man. She was the Inquisitor after all, she had been running throughout all of Thedas solving everyone else's issues and had even sealed a hole in the sky. Surely they would have sent someone special.

"Huh, oh." He glanced at her and shrugged. "I was sent here for that purpose yes. But, well, I have been sent to kill another savior of Thedas once before and learned a very fortunate lesson." He gave her what he must have assumed was a charming grin. "Don't fuck with important, world changing people. You would think the Crows would learn I value my life more than the job…but alas they continue to test me."

"So you have no intention of full filling this….contract?"

"Well I had given it some consideration before meeting you. And I digress I had perhaps thought to complete it, before meeting you I assure you. But as I said I value my life more than rejoining the Crows and my dear friend Leliana has had me in her sights since I first stepped through the gate." Lavellan gasped and followed the newcomer's coy gaze. Sure enough her spy master was standing in a window with her now trained of the unknown elf.

"And your friends?" She smiled back at him in amusement, her light silver eyes laughing in merriment.

"Yes. Close I would like to say…..ah….perhaps you should take my weapons."

"Somehow I don't believe that will get her to lower her bow. Keep them. Perhaps we should make our way to her instead."

"Ah….no…" Zevran nodded toward the redhead. Lavellan noticed the woman was very strategically placed, the only time they would be out of her rage would be when they walked into Cullen's office. If they walked back out he was back in her sights and if they took the other path she could step out onto a narrow ledge, it left her on precarious footing but both she and Zevran seemed to know she wouldn't hesitate.

"Cullen!" A few moments after her shout and the blonde commander pushed open his door and stuck out his head.

"Inquisitor?"

"Accompany us to our lovely spy master so that our new 'friend' here can assure her he doesn't wish to complete the assassination contract he was given for me."

"Of cour- I'm sorry what?" Lavellan waved her hands towards the amused spy master across the gap. "What is she….did you say assassination.?" Zevran bowed low to Cullen.

"I believe we have a mutual acquaintance, the Warden of Ferelden." Cullen's eyes widened and he turned toward Leliana's silhouette. "Ah yes…she is also a friend of mine….though I supposed perhaps she is a bit irritated with me for taking this contract. Although in my defense I once took a contract to end the Wardens life as well and Morrigan didn't get her panties in such a bunch."

Cullen and Lavellan stared at Zevran in confusion. "What does that have to do with Leliana?" She asked cautiously.

Zevran chuckled lightly. "They are together. Morrigan and the Warden." That didn't answer her questions, he seemed to notice she wasn't good with indirect responses. "Are you two not together, you and my lovely redheaded friend?"

They both gaped at him and she understood fully why her face had turned red, she had no idea why Cullen was turning such an interesting shade as well. Zevran laughed happily, he shuffled back and forth on his feet and his gaze flittered back to the castle walls. He noted Leliana had moved and let out a sigh of relief, obviously she felt he wasn't a threat with the dashingly large commander next to him.

"We are not." The Inquisitor said when she felt herself able to form words once again. She didn't think he needed to know she harbored unrequited feelings for her spy master so she answered as simply and definitely as possible. He only smiled in amusement.

"Are not what exactly?" Leliana's voice came from beside her. Lavellan jumped and glanced to her right. Evidently the woman had given up her threatening stance and took the long way around to their location. She was vaguely aware of Cullen quietly retreating back into his office and she wished she could follow. Something told her she didn't really want to be around when Zevran started spouting his strangely baseless suspicions about her relationship with the frightening woman.

"Lovers…it seemed I was mistaken." She blushed harder, if possible she felt it all the way to the tips of her drastically pointed ears, and glared threateningly at the assassin. He shrugged but his smug expression faltered under the sharp gaze of the Orlesian.

"What have I told you about butting in on my love life, Zevran?" He shrugged. The Bard sighed and reached out to clasped him in a tight hug, which she also used to unceremoniously devoid him of any hidden weapons right along with the two daggers on his back. He shot the Inquisitor a conspiratorial look. "You won't need these. It's good to see you, but if you attempt anything I'll put an arrow in you myself." She warned lightly. He held his hands up and shook his head.

"Just stopping for a visit. I fear life in the Crows is not for me. They keep sending me on jobs more likely to get me killed than anything."

Leliana smiled good-naturedly. "Ill be keeping your weapons. Come find me when your….visit is over." She glanced back at the stunned elf before heading back to the castle by way of Cullen's room.

"Hmmm. And I was so sure there was a tragic romance in the making."

Lavellan turned her attention away from the heavy wooden door the lovely woman had just gone through. "Tragic?"

"Don't all grand romances end in tragedy?" He said mysteriously. "Well." He forced levity into his voice. "I had better get to exploring. Won't be here long after all." He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips as he bowed again. "It was lovely to meet the famous Inquisitor. May your path be easy and you death be swift."

She raised her eyebrow at his words but he simply smiled and walked away, opposite of the way his friend had gone. She found herself wondering how close those two really were. Obviously by his words they were both friends with the Warden, she wondered if they both fought at the battle in Denerim. She supposed they did, she couldn't imagine going through something like that with a friend only to abandon them at the end.

In any case he reminded her of Dorian and she shuddered at the thought of having two of them around, for any length of time.

 **A/N; I'm aware there is time/plot issues but it was fun to write. And I am so not sure why I enjoyed it because Zevran is the farthest from my favorite character. Now that it's done I wish I had done Isabelle. Oh well.**


End file.
